Wire-stretcher.



A. D. MORROW,

' WIRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB 9| I9I6e Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I A. D. MORROW WIRE STRETCHER..

APPL|CAT|0N FILED FEB. s. 1916.

1,256,,853 Patented Feb. 12,1918.

N a 1? \R QN 2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

sas ATENT ora ion.

ALBERT D. MORRGVV, OF CORDOVA, ALABAMA.

WIRE-STRETCHEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12,1918.

Application filed February 9, 1916. Serial No. 77,264.

in the art to which it appertains' to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in wire stretchers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofwire stretchers and to provide a simple, practical and inexpensive wirestretcher of strong and durable construction, capable of enabling aplurality of fence wires to be simultaneously stretched by one person,and of exerting the desired force on the wire to stretch the same to theproper tension.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wire stretcher of thischaacter equipped with a double ratchet mechanism for advancing the wirestep by step to the desired point and provided with means forsimultaneously disengaging both dogs or pawls from the ratchet bar topermit the wire stretcher to be readily rearranged for anotherstretching operation without liabil- 1ty 0f the parts sticking andinterfering with the readjustment of the device.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointedout in the claim hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a plan view of a wire stretcher constructedin accordance with this invention, portions of the operating lever beingbroken away,

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the wire stretcher,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on the line et-4 of Fig. 1,

I -1g. I ig. 1,

Fig. (3 is a detail view of the clamp for 5 is a similar view on theline 5-5 of cl'lgaging the fence wires. v 1

Like nunle ads of reference designate corresponding parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention, the wire stretcher comprises in itsconstruction a longitudinally disposed ratchet bar 1, a transverselydisposed operating lever 2 and a pair of converging angularly disposedpawls or dogs 4 pivoted at their outer ends at o and 6 to the operatinglever at opposite sides of the ratchet bar of the ends of the ratchetbar and receiving-- a bolt 12 which constitutes a pivot for theoperating lever and which also connects a pair of bars 13 with thelever. The lever is provided with a longitudinal opening l i to receivethe ratchet bar, the opening being preferably formed by a separate baror piece of material 1.5 secured to the operating lever at one sidethereof as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. A. pivot bolt12 operates in the slot 11 and is adapted to move along the same in theoperation of the wire stretcher and the outer ends of the pawls or dogsare arranged in the opening 14 of the operating lever. The innerengaging end of the pawls or dogs 1 are provided with teeth 16 and theyhave flanges 17 arranged in pairs and located at opposite sides of theteeth 16 and adapted to slidably embrace the side portions of theratchet bar 1.

The pawls or dogs are maintained in en-- has they yieldably maintain thesaid pawls or dogs in engagement with the ratchet bar which is providedat its side edges with ratchet teeth 22 shouldered at one end andbeveled at their slde edges. The operating lever is adapted to beoscillated on the pivot 12 which willrcause the pawls or dogs to ingblock 25. The clevis is connected by a chain 28 with the clamp 29composed of bars or members and connecting bolts 30 which cause the barsor members of the clamp 29 to engage the w1re to be stretched. Thedevice is adapted for stretching a plurality of fence wires or wovenwire fencing or the like and after the pulling or connecting bars 13have been moved forwardly to the limit of the operation of the device,the pawls or dogs are swung outwardly by releasing mechanism to permitthe slidable bars 13 and the transverse operating lever to be drawnoutwardly to arrange the parts for another operation of the wirestretcher. V The releasing mechanism comprises a pair of levers 31 and32each having a pivot portion 33 and an inner arm 34:, the pivot portionbeing mounted in the operating lever at opposite sides of the opening 14thereof and the said arms being arranged to swing in the opening 1% andengage the pawls or dogs at the inner side edges thereof for swingingthe said pawls or dogs outwardly against the action of the coiledsprings. The lever 31 is provided with a rearwardly extending arm 35 andthe other lever has a forwardly extending arm 36 connected with therearwardly extending arm 3% by a rod 37 and with a latch lever 38 by arod 39. The operating lever 2 is provided with a grip or handle 40 andthe latch lever is located at the grip or handle 40 in position to begrasped simultaneously with the same.'

The latch lever is fulcrumed at its inner portion to the operating leverand when it is pressed against the handle or grip thereof, the arms 34of the said levers 31 and 32 are swung outwardly and carry with them thepawls or dogs which are moved out of engagement with the ratchet bar.The ratchet bar is thereby released and the lever with its centralconnecting means may be moved rearwardly for arranging the wirestretcher for another operation. 7

It will be seen that the wire stretcher is exceedingly simple andinexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to be easily and rapidlyoperated and is capable of being quickly reset for a second operationalso it will be apparent that the pawls or dogs are adapted to besimultaneously disengaged from the ratchet bar and may be readily heldout of such engagement while the parts are being adjusted. I

What is claimed is A wire stretcher comprising aratchet bar provided atopposite sides with ratchet teeth, an operating lever disposedtransversely of the ratchet bar and slidably connected therewith, pawlslocateda't opposite sides of the ratchet bar and pivoted at one end tothe lever and having their other ends engaging the ratchet teeth,separate springs located at opposite sides of the ratchet bar andconnected with the pawls for urging the same into engagement with thesaid ratchet bar, and releasing mechanism comprising a-pai-r ofreleasing levers carried by the operating lever and located between andengaging the pawls at the inner sides thereof, one of the releasinglevers being pivoted at one end and the other releasing lever beingpivoted at a point intermediate of'its ends to provide anarm, a rodconnecting the arm. of such releasing lever with the other releasinglever and pivoted to the latter ata point intermediate of the ends ofthe same, and a latch lever mounted on the opin presence of twowitnesses.

ALBERT D. MORROW. Witnesses:

D. M. DAvIs, J. A. TUBB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of yet-ants.

Washington, D. C.

